The present invention relates to an exhaust gas purification apparatus and method and, more particularly, to an exhaust gas purification apparatus and method purifying exhaust gases exhausted from an internal combustion engine.
As shown in FIG. 1 of SAE Paper 931096, it has been proposed to provide an exhaust gas purification apparatus having a reformer arranged to introduce a fuel and a part of exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine for reforming the same. The reformer is so constructed as to perform partial oxidation and steam reforming by using oxygen and water contained in the exhaust gases to generate a reformed gas containing hydrogen from a hydrocarbon fuel. The reformed gas has various applications such as a fuel for the internal combustion engine or a part of the fuel thereof, a reducing agent to be introduced into an exhaust system or a fuel for a combustor type heating device represented with a burner.